


Battleground

by Fantine_Black



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Accidents, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Trauma, Credence Barebone Gets a Hug, Credence Barebone Heals, Credence Barebone Lives, Credence Barebone Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It of Sorts, Good Original Percival Graves, Healing, Hugs, M/M, Mary Lou Barebone is Her Own Warning, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-World War I, Protective Original Percival Graves, Psychological Trauma, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:09:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21598192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantine_Black/pseuds/Fantine_Black
Summary: "Percival had seen that look. Not on Credence, but he'd seen it. 1918, '19, '20. Boys like Credence, men like him.He'd seen more, now. He could help."Some battles are fought at home.
Relationships: Credence Barebone & Mary Lou Barebone, Credence Barebone/Original Percival Graves
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	Battleground

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on Tumblr first, and it deals with some heavy PTSD-related themes. Be safe! This is not meant to be dark, though. Percival has seen a lot, and that means he is in an excellent position to help.

When Percival came home that night, Credence was curled up on the windowsill, sitting... too still, somehow, and staring out at some far off, unchanging point.

Graves cleared his throat. "Hello, love."

Credence's eyes flicked over, but then he continued staring. "Hi."

Graves turned around to put away his things, and found that Credence had seemingly not even blinked when he returned.

He approached him very slowly. "Is anything wrong?"

"No." His voice was toneless. 

Graves took a breath. "Did something happen?"

"No." He closed his eyes. "Nothing's happened. Nothing's wrong."

"OK, Credence." He breathed out. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No," and then his voice broke. "You can't." He cringed together.

"Can I try?"

He turned to him. "It didn't work."

He'd seen that look. Not on Credence, but he'd seen it. 1918, '19, '20. Boys like Credence, men like him.

"I have everything," Credence said, and his voice was hateful, "I ever wanted. You gave me _everything!"_ Graves tensed, felt a Shield Charm build. Muscle memory. Credence shook. "I have a home, clothes, a bed. More food than I deserve." Graves winced at that last word. "I have friends, and I have you. You love me." He sounded desperate.

"I do, Credence," he said. "I do love you."

Then _why,"_ Credence said, angry tears pooling in his eyes, "do I feel like this? I shouldn't feel like this!" 

"Oh, my boy," Graves said, "Yes, you should. Really, you should." 

"No!" Credence shouted. "I'm ungrateful, I'm bad, when I get something good, I can't even feel it, I should feel it, I am _bad..."_

Graves took him in his arms and let him thrash, containing all the raw, broken magic around them - it was powerful, but unfocused, and focus might be Graves' middle name. "My good boy," he said, "my brave boy. This is right. You're doing everything just right." 

Credence fixed him. _"How?"_

Another boy drowning, grasping for a lifeline. He'd seen more now. He could help.

"You can't feel good," he said, "until you feel all the bad. And the second blow is harder, because no one tells you it will come. No one sees it. No one helps." 

Credence clung to him. 

"You can't fix it with a spell, or a potion, or warm clothes. Not even love." He embraced him. "How I wish I could take it from you." 

_"She_ took it from me!" Credence hissed. "She is dead, and still she took it from me, your love, and care, she's dead, and now she won't let me have it!" 

"She is dead," Graves said, "and she left you with the hardest battle in existence, a crime she already paid for with her life. And it's a hard fight, Credence, and it's not fair, and I won't lie to you, Credence, this shit kills."

The boy looked at him. "I killed my sister."

Graves held him tight. "I know it feels that way. I know people may even say it. But your sister was a victim of your Ma's cruelty, same as you." 

"But I did..."

"Because she threatened you. Because she hurt your other sister." Graves grabbed his shoulders, looked into his eyes. "She did this, and she paid the price. It's not your price to pay." 

Credence sighed. "It hurts me, sir." 

Graves stroked his hair. "I know, my love. I know." 

They stood there for a long time. Two broken souls at war. 

Credence sighed again. "I made us soup. Do you want some...?"


End file.
